A Guide to Handyman Insurance

Handymen and women all over the UK have slowly but surely been finding their work rising in demand. With figures showing a skills shortage in almost all trades, it is no surprise that your services are wanted far and wide. 

Working as a handyman or woman brings a variety of tasks. All having their own individual risks and hazards. Damage to property, personal accidents, tax troubles and legal issues can always arise. That's where our tailored insurance can help you in your profession.

Why do you need Handyman insurance? 

You may think that insurance isn't needed when operating a handyman business. You may undertake odd jobs in your local town or village. However, running a business dealing with customers and the general public always risks the chance of something going wrong, no matter how experienced you might be. Because of this, we always recommend that any self-employed tradesperson have sufficient insurance cover in place before taking on any work - especially work that could be highly costly if something goes wrong. 

Occasionally, you may even find a customer asking you for an insurance document as proof that you have the relevant cover should something go wrong.. Likewise, if you do any work for a local business, council or organisation, you must hold a certain level of cover before stepping on-site. 

What does Handyman insurance cover?

Handyman insurance can cover a wide variety of things. You can have insurance that protects you from a personal injury caused on-site, damage to a customer's property, injury to a member of the public  or supplier, tool protection and much more. 

You may sit there and think, "I've never had any issues before. I'll risk it". Well, no matter how good you are at your job, there's always the possibility that something goes wrong. We cover plenty of UK-based tradespeople who are at the top of their game and who have had a bad day at work. All it takes is one slip, and you could be looking at a bill in the thousands. . 

As a business owner, you owe yourself, your employees and any customers a duty of care when working. It will help people trust your business and add value to potential customers, suppliers, contractors and clients.  

Is Public Liability Insurance valuable for a Handyman?

Public Liability Insurance isn't required under UK law. It's pretty startling, and we will never understand why it isn't. Having a policy of this nature brings your business so much; not only will it protect your finances, it can help keep your business afloat should an accident happen. It also adds true and lasting value to your handyman business for future customers. People will learn to trust you and stay calm knowing that you are fully protected if something bad happens. 

Let's take a moment to think about where Public Liability Insurance will help you as a handyman. If you were pressure washing a customer's car and your equipment malfunctions, causing damage to the vehicle, your liability insurance would grant you cover for any costs incurred. 

Likewise, if you were installing a new kitchen for a client and accidentally injure them by leaving your tools lying around, you will be able to protect yourself with the right level of insurance. 

At Rhino Trade Insurance, our Public Liability Insurance offers some of the best protection on the market, all at a reasonable price. Our cover can be taken out from £1 million, £2 million and £5 million. It also won't cost you the earth, with policies starting at just £72.80 a year. 

Get a Quote now.

Do I need to have Employers' Liability Insurance?

If you run a handyman business and have a few employees, you are required to have Employers' Liability Insurance under UK law. 

The reason for this cover is to protect yourself if one of your staff members causes accidental damage or injury to property or customers. It also covers injury to themselves for the work they undertake. 

Our popular policy is a handy add-on to any Public Liability Insurance policy held by handymen. Our cover is on offer from just £6.07 a month. Get yourself covered now and avoid paying the £2,500 a day fine that you could face if found not to have this type of trade insurance. 

More Employers' Liability Insurance info here. 

What else could I get insurance for?

Tools Insurance

As a handyman, you most likely have several tools to handle different jobs you are asked to work on. Having them stored in your van, out on the job or at home is a risk in itself. 

At Rhino Trade Insurance, our trade boffins devised the perfect policy to help protect your prized tools. It's been reported that £137,000 worth of tools are being stolen on average every single day in the UK. Although you can take precautions (which you can find here), having insurance is your best bet if you are targeted. 

Our Tool Insurance costs as little as £3.75 a month and can be added to your central policy very quickly. You can also protect your tools up to the value of £10,000. 

Personal Accident Insurance

Again, as a handyman, you expose yourself to a plethora of risks and hazards that could cause injury. If, as a self-employed tradesperson, you managed to injure yourself and couldn't work, then you would need to be paid. Rhino has you covered in this instance with Personal Accident Insurance.

For as little as £89 a year, you can be sure that if you need an extended time off work due to injury, you can do so without worrying about cash flow. Our insurance policies pay out a lump sum of up to £50,000 if you find yourself unable to work. 

Find out about this cracking piece of cover now. 

As well as both of these popular policies, you can get excellent cover from Rhino Trade Insurance for Legal Defence Insurance, Professional Indemnity, Van Insurance and Income Protection.

How much does Handyman insurance cost?

Handyman insurance shouldn't break the bank. The cost depends on what level of cover you choose for your business and what add-on insurance policies you'd like. Depending on what you prefer, at Rhino Trade Insurance, you can pay outright or monthly (interest-free). 

Every business is different, and there are plenty of factors in calculating your price. Here are a few things for you to consider when weighing up the cost of your cover:

• Business turnover
• Business size
• The nature of your work
• Your trade industry
• Health and Safety History
• A handful of other factors

As mentioned in the above paragraph, depending on who you work for will require you to have a specific level of handyman insurance. If you want to work for local councils, join a trades body/ association or work for a main contractor, you will need to have a minimum cover level of £ 2 million. 

How do claims work?

When taking out a policy with Rhino, you will receive all your documentation in your email inbox and online account. Here you will be able to see how to make a claim. It shouldn't be a chore to make a claim if something goes wrong. We have a super simple and hassle-free way of contacting the correct department. 

To help you out, we wrote an easy-to-follow guide on claiming on your insurance policy. Alternatively, if you want to make a claim, you can visit our claims page, which we aim to process within 24 hours of a claim being made. 

Why Choose Rhino Trade Insurance?

As a busy handyman undertaking a variety of work in any given week, you should consider your insurance options. We have protected thousands of UK-based tradespeople and businesses at Rhino Trade Insurance. We have a team of trade insurance experts who have designed some of the best policies you can find on the market. 

Want help? Get in touch with our lovely team now: 0116 243 7904, or you can get a quote in under a minute online: get a quick in an instant.